Trickster's Lament
by King of Everything
Summary: Loki has taken the throne of Asgard, but even then not all is as it seems. But still he finds himself unsatisfied. A quality he shares with a one Darcy Lewis. Meanwhile, Odin seeks answers to a dangerous question and the Avengers find that Earth might not be as safe as they had hoped. LokiXDarcy, ThorXJane, NatashaXClint.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Thor has returned to earth, Malekith is defeated, and unbeknownst to anyone, Loki sits upon the throne of Asgard. But is it everything that he wanted? The Tesseract is held in the vault of Asgard, and the Ether safely stashed away. Meanwhile, Jane Foster and Erik Selvig have been brought in to work with SHIELD, and Darcy Lewis is regretting terribly her choice of relationships. Where has Odin gone? What is Loki planning? Why am I asking you all of this?

Pairings: Tasertricks, Thane, Pepperony, Blackeye, mostly Tasertricks

_**Warning: Definite Spoilers for Thor 2 AND now Captain America: The Winter Soldier**_

Note: I get the "Otherworldly Aliens" thing that they are trying to do with the Asgardians, but I'm totally ignoring Odin's little discussion with Loki in the beginning of Thor 2, where Odin says they are not gods and Loki states that they live for a few thousand years. As far as I'm concerned, they ARE gods, and their lives are eternal, so long as they are not slain in battle.

Disclaimer: Nay mortals. I do not posses ownership of Loki, Thor, Odin, or any of the other Marvel characters that appear in this story. Regardless, I hope that it pleases you.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: A New God-King<strong>

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><p>"The Hammer is yours, so long as you are worthy of it." The words came from his mouth as easily as if they were actually Odin's own, and not those of a trickster in disguise.<p>

Loki scanned Thor's face, as a look of gratitude and perhaps even a bit of pride washed over Thor's face. He was happy to hear his father acknowledge his stature, not only as a great warrior, but as a good and wise man. Loki felt no guilt over letting Thor believe that these were Odin's words. He was sure that, were the All-father here, he would have said much the same. Not that the God of Mischief had ever been one for guilt regardless. In truth, he would have been quite tempted to take Mjolnir, if not for the simple fact that his inability to lift the weapon would have instantly revealed his disguise.

"Thank you, Father." Thor replied, before turning and leaving the damaged throne room, no doubt to return to earth ans his beloved Jane Foster. Loki had to admit, he had been impressed with her spark and fearlessness. Few mortals, even with Thor for protection, would have dared strike him. Still, why Thor took to a mortal so much, he would never know. Surely his brother had to know that in a few short decades it would have to end in pain.

Loki knew the pain of lost love. It had driven him to madness once. A second time it had driven him to side with his most hated enemy against that which had dared take his mother from him.

When Thor had left, Loki smirked, allowing his facade to fade away. No one was watching now, he could sit upon the throne as himself and relish the moment. Soon the disguise would have to go on again.

"No brother. Thank you." he whispered.

'Thank you for this opportunity, for your gullible nature and inability to see what was right in front of your eyes. Thank you for getting me out of that prison cell and allowing me this chance to seize the throne. Never before have I been so grateful for your utter buffoonery.'

Not for the first time, Loki's mind went back to the moment that had started this chain of events which had lead him to be sitting upon the throne.

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><p>"DAMN!" Loki screamed as he let loose another wave of magic which shattered his chair into splinters, "DAMN IT ALL!"<p>

Frigga...Loki's mother...he couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it. Damnnit all, it just couldn't be true! Why? Why had he given that monstrosity directions? Would it have mattered?

Was he to blame for his mother's death?

Loki let out a primal scream and every object in his cell, from the books to what was left of the furniture, began to swirl around him as though caught in a vortex. The cell suppressed his magic, other than the simplest of illusions, and the fact that he could overpower the seals was a testament to his rage.

And then suddenly, everything dropped. Loki fell to his knees and reached up to yank at his hair. Tears fell, unrestrained from his eyes and he sobbed. Why had the last thing he ever told her been to tell her that she was not his mother? He had been so angry. So furious, that he had lashed out at the only person who still loved him, unconditionally, even for all his failings.

Never before had he loathed himself so much.

"Come boy. Time to stand. Weeping will not bring her back."

Loki's eyes opened wide in shock and he whipped around as he stood up.

A figure stood before his cell, cloaked in grey. The being was small in stature and his face was indistinguishable beneath a tattered, grey hood. A crooked, wooden staff was held in one hand, as tall as the figure himself.

Loki slammed a hand against his cell window and snarled, "I do not know who you are, but you should know it is unwise to mock me." his words were quiet, but laced with enough murderous venom to slaughter a dozen bilgesnipe.

The figure reached up and removed his hood, and suddenly his figure changed. His staff became a golden spear. His shoulders grew broad and his arms strong, and his face was unmistakable, but held a look of broken and desolate sadness that Loki had never seen before.

Loki recoiled from the window of his cell and his eyes opened wide in shock, "All-father." After a moment, Loki regained his composure, "To what do I owe this visit?"

Odin glanced over Loki's cell, at the broken furniture and tattered books, "I see that your mother had been to see you. Always defiant that woman. Perhaps that is why I loved her."

Loki sneered at his adopted father, "If you have no other purpose here than to talk to me about that woman, you may go. I'm in no mood."

Odin moved with surprising speed, slipping through the barrier between them as though it weren't even there and slapping Loki across the face. The God of Lies fell to the ground and Odin snarled at him, "You seek to wound me by disrespecting the only one of your family who never gave up on you, ceased to love you, and came to you even in your darkest of times. Such is beneath you, Loki."

Loki's body shook, stunned by Odin's blow. Sometimes he forgot the All-father's strength, greater even than Thor's. He looked up at Odin, "Why are you here?"

Odin began to pace across Loki's cell. He picked up what remained of one of Loki's books and flipped through it. He looked as though he were searching for the right words, "Rather basic, isn't it?" Odin asked finally, "This is the Grimoire of the Sorcerer, Galjorn. A perfectly adequate spell caster, but I'd have thought rather beneath your own skills, Loki."

Loki shakily stood to his feet, "Why are you here?" he repeated, his eyes following Odin's path around his cell.

Odin tossed the book aside, "Events are transpiring." he spoke slowly, knowing that he had to chose them carefully in the presence of one so crafty, "Which few understand. The arrival of Malekith and the Dark Elves...I believe to be naught but a herald of much worse things to come. You know of the Aether, of course?"

Loki slowly nodded, "One of the oldest and most powerful weapons in all the realms. I have heard whispers, even here in my prison. Is it true that it has chosen to house itself within the body of my dearest brother's mortal pet?"

Odin nodded, "Yes. A shocking turn of events, even for me. The fact that this weapon has resurfaced after so long is astonishing enough. But so soon after the reappearance of the Tesseract, another Infinity Stone? No, other things are at work here Loki. Things which I do not believe even we understand. Malekith is a threat, but he is merely the beginning of something much larger."

Loki's eyes narrowed, "And why are you sharing this with me?"

Odin let out a bark of laughter, "In truth? I am here to make a deal with you. Thor wishes to go after Malekith, draw him out, using the Aether as bait and then when the Elf king draws the element out of the mortal Jane Foster, he hopes to destroy it. I have forbidden such a course of action, and of course, Thor will seek to disobey me and go through with his foolhardy plan regardless. I know him better than he thinks."

Loki still wasn't sure what this had to do with him, "And where does this deal you spoke of come in?"

"Simple. Thor cannot leave Asgard alone. I made sure of it. He will seek the aid of the only one who might be able to show him a secret way out. Only one person knows all the pathways between the realms Loki."

The trickster god scoffed, "And you want me to prevent Thor's leaving, is that it?"

Odin smirked in a way that was much much like one of Loki's own, "On the contrary. I want you to help him."

Loki raised an eyebrow, "I'm afraid I don't understand."

Odin smiled, "Thor will not be able to destroy the Aether. It's power is far beyond what either he or Malekith is capable of understanding. But he will defeat Malekith, of that much I am certain. He is a warrior, while Malekith has grown fragile with his obsession over the millennia. However, while Thor is doing battle with Malekith, I must be elsewhere. Something is at at the root of these events, and I fear that a much worse danger is on the horizon. I must leave Asgard to seek answers."

Now it was Loki's turn to smirk, "So you want me to help Thor to go and disobey you, create a giant mess and cause a huge scene as is the norm with my dear brother, and in the meanwhile you will use the commotion to sneak out and go hunting down monsters in the shadows? And what exactly do I get out of all this?"

Odin smirked again, "You get to be King."

Loki's smirk immediately disappeared, "King? I? How so?"

"Asgard needs a ruler. Thor is not ready even to rule in my absence, and besides which I do not wish any knowledge of my departure to reach the ears of those who might also be noticing the signs. I'd prefer to search the nine realms and beyond in secrecy. I want you to use your magic to disguise yourself and take my place. You will rule in my stead until I return."

Loki couldn't believe what he was hearing. He turned from the All-father and looked down at his feet as he attempted to make sense of all this, "Not a few days ago, you were willing to denounce me utterly and locked me up like the basest of criminals. Now you would offer me your throne? How do you know I would not betray you and take the throne permanently for myself?"

"Because" Odin replied, "Your mother believed in you. To the last day she told me that she thought you could be redeemed. She loved you. And I did not listen to her. I thought them the words of a desperate mother who is blinded from the truth by her own love for her child. And now, she is gone, and even I cannot change that. But I can honor her deepest last wish, that I give her son a second chance."

Loki didn't turn around, or answer the All-father. He simply stared at the ground. Odin continued, "You will go with Thor, and you will use your illusionary magic to fake your own death and then return to me, at which point I will leave and you will take my place. Thor must not know any of this. If he knew of my quest, he would wish to follow me, but he cannot. Midgard needs him, and I cannot be distracted from this journey. I am placing my faith in you one more time Loki. Here is your chance to make Frigga proud. I hope that you make the right choice."

Odin slipped back out of the cell, again treating the barrier as though it didn't even exist, "And of course you should know that if you do betray me once more, I will kill you."

He slipped his hood over his head, and again he shrunk down and his presence became weak, "One last chance Loki. I know you hold no more love for me, but I hope that you know how much your mother loved you and honor that." He stated, and disappeared up the stone steps that lead out of the prison cells.

Loki watched the man he had once called father until he was out of sight, thinking on the offer made to him. He had to admit, he had not expected such deviousness from Odin. He supposed that so many millenia did must breed a certain amount of cunning. And if it meant getting his revenge on the swine that had killed his dearest mother, the only being in all the realms that he still held some degree of affection for, he would be willing to ally himself even with Thor and Odin.

He would put on a show for Thor. It was what he was best at, being a liesmith that he was. For now though, he would have to let some of his rage out on more of the upholstery.

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><p>In the time since then, Loki had followed the plan perfectly. Thor had indeed defeated Malekith, as Odin and Loki both knew he would. The Aether was back in the hands of the Asgardians. Not a single being in Asgard knew who really sat upon the throne. He didn't know where Odin had gone to, but he suspected that the All-father would be in touch. Everything was going perfectly.<p>

He sensed another presence approaching and quickly returned to his disguise. A pair of royal guards entered and feel to their knees before Loki, "My King. The reconstruction of Asgard is underway. The people await your command."

Loki smiled. Oh, this was going to be so much fun.

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><p><strong>Soooooo...I've been away from FF for a while. Writing a bit of my own potential novel. Doing college. Falling head over heels in love. Decided to come back and try my hand at something new. Hope you all enjoy. If I feel as though it would be worth it, I may go back to a couple of my older, unfinished stories as well.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I posses no rights to Loki, Odin, or any other Marvel product. All that I do is merely for the sake of enjoyment...I LOVE THESE CHARACTERS! WHY CAN THEY NOT BE MIIIIIIIINE!?

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Not What She Wanted<strong>

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><p>Darcy Lewis had never really considered herself to be a very special or unusual woman. Eager, excited, air headed yet cleverer than some. She didn't have an IQ in the stratosphere like Jane and Erik, or the commanding presence of Mr. Fury, the sheer badassery of Clint, Steve, or Natasha, or the unique eccentric brilliance of Tony Stark.<p>

And yet, here she was, an intern in SHIELD's Science and Research Division, on a first name basis with several of those same amazing people she had mentioned, and rooming with the God of Thunder and his human girlfriend (who was also her best and possibly only friend).

A lot of things had changed for Darcy since Thor had returned. The first thing that the God of Thunder had wanted to do when all the commotion had gone down and he had properly greeted Jane and promised to never leave her again, was to find his 'brothers in arms' at SHIELD and create a home for himself on Midgard. Turns out, SHIELD hadn't been far behind. Tony and Steve had been less than an hour away when Thor had defeated those crazy WoW knock-offs and their boss, and both were happy to see Thor again (especially the good Captain. Tony seemed a little preoccupied with wanting to know what the hell was going on and why he wasn't invited sooner).

After that, everything had been a bit of a blur. Thor was invited to be an ally of SHIELD and an official defender of the planet earth (which Darcy suspected was done in no small part because Nick Fury had insisted that it was much better to be on Thor's good side than not), Jane had been taken on as a part of a science team dedicated to better understanding the nature of Asgardians, (They had also wanted to involve Erik, but he had failed the psych evaluation, although Darcy had heard that he was doing much better in that regard and would try again in a month or so).

Darcy herself had followed Jane. She hadn't thought that a place like SHIELD, the single most powerful organization in the world, dedicated to the protection of all man-kind, would have really cared about someone like her. And yet, she had experience. She had been there in New Mexico, although she hadn't done a whole lot, and then she had been in Greenwich, where she had actually done something to help save the whole freaking world, and maybe more! I mean, sure, she had shoved a few stakes in the ground, but according to SHIELD, doing so had shown 'Great courage in the face of adversity and excellent initiative' and Jane had vouched for her 'unique mindset'. And they had wanted her.

And now here she was, Darcy Lewis, Agent of SHIELD.

Okay, that last bit was a lie. She was still an intern, she was still Jane's intern, filing stuff and occasionally getting coffee. But hey, it was an internship with SHIELD, and that was still freaking awesome.

And there were a lot of perks. She spent most of her time with Jane, helping in whatever way she could, and it just so happened that Thor ALSO spent most of his time with Jane. And the rest of the Avengers would often come by to talk to Thor, either to inform him of something or just to chat. No less than 3 Avengers knew her by name, and she fancied that Steve Rogers, Captain Freaking America, even considered her to be something of a friend.

And yet...Darcy Lewis didn't feel like she was content with her life. Maybe that was selfish of her. She had done and seen so much. And yet, she was still JUST an intern. For having freaking saved the world, done more than 99% of the suits who passed by with their intense stares and strange infatuation with sunglasses, she was still just the girl who got coffee and whose lack of any sort of filter served as amusement to the people who actually did stuff. She just...wished she was more important.

And then there was Ian. Oh, by Odin's beard, Ian... He hadn't qualified to join SHIELD, but he had followed them to New York and had taken up an apartment nearby to the one that Darcy and Jane shared. And...while she had been happy about it at first, she had become steadily less and less sure of the relationship since then. He followed her around like a puppy, save when she was at SHIELD headquarters doing intern stuff, and always did everything she asked without question and doted on her hand and foot...

And she was getting sort of fed up with it! She felt that she could probably ask him to punch himself in the face and he would put on boxing gloves. She could steamroll over the poor boy! He didn't...challenge her at all. He didn't bring out anything great it her. He was a good person, and a nice guy, and for a while she had been caught up in the whole romanticism of his having saved her back in England, but she didn't want a guy who was totally submissive to everything she did. Not that she wanted a guy who would control or try and tell her what to do either, because she would take none of that shit, but she wanted someone whom she could feel like she was on equal ground with. Someone who would care about her, but also wouldn't let her get away with everything.

She didn't have the heart to tell the poor boy she wanted to dump him. He'd probably curl into a ball on the ground and cry. But she also knew that she didn't want to lead him on. Maybe she should just do it quick like a bandaid...

The sound of approaching footsteps brought Darcy out of her rumination and she looked up from the papers that she was supposed to be documenting to see a familiar hunk in a star spangled combat suit.

Darcy smiled as she quietly tried to slip the paper under the desk, "Hey Cap! What's up?"

Steve Rogers smiled at her, "Hello Ms. Lewis. Do you know if Thor is around?"

Since his return from Asgard, Cap had become quite possibly Thor's closest friend. It wasn't hard to see why. Both noble and honorable men who were about as good-natured as you could get, but still natural warriors.

Darcy smiled ruefully, only slightly upset that he wasn't here to talk to her. "Sure, he's up on the third floor smashing place."

Steve gave her an odd look, "You mean the training room?"

Darcy smirked, "For Goldilocks? It's a smashing place."

The star spangled hero contemplated that for a moment, and then gave her a half shrug, "I suppose. Thank you Ms. Lewis. Have a nice afternoon."

"YOU CAN CALL ME DARCY!" She called after him as he left to find the Thunder God. He turned and gave her a friendly smile before he left, but otherwise didn't respond. He was probably too much a gentleman to feel comfortable with that.

Darcy was certainly not too much of a lady not to feel comfortable staring as his tight ass as he walked away. Yeah, she had a bit of a girl-crush, but hey, it's freaking Captain America! She felt she was entitled to that. Not that she'd actually want it to go anywhere. She was fine admiring the goods from afar.

Darcy sighed and stood up. She was bored and wasn't getting anywhere. She'd finish cataloging Jane's data tomorrow. Sweeping up her security card (awesome) and her iPod, she began to make for home.

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><p>Steve ducked under another swipe from his sparring partner and landed two quick punches into Thor's abdomen before pulling back and again out of his reach. Thor chuckled, hardly even feeling the blows, and shifted his stance into a more defensive posture.<p>

"You know, even without my God-strength, I was still capable of taking down an entire squadron of your finest warriors back in New Mexico, and yet I cannot lay a hand on you Captain. Truly you are the greatest warrior I have ever known. Had you the strength of the Aesir I believe you could single-handedly strike down the entire royal guard of my father's palace."

Steve shrugged, as he attacked again, feigning left, then somehow slipping through Thor's attempt at a grab and landing a heavy uppercut to Thor's jaw with enough force likely to rip a normal man's head from his shoulders, "I don't know about that Thor. But I do know that you're telegraphing your attacks too much."

Thor blinked in surprise and held his fists closer to his chest. The pair circled around each other like wolves waiting for an opening, neither giving one. Thor lost his patience first and lashed out with a strike angled at Steve's shoulder. Captain America let out a surprised shout and was only just barely able to slide with the momentum of the punch to avoid taking the hit. At the last possible moment, he grabbed onto Thor's arm and used his shoulder as leverage to lift the Thunder God off the ground and flip him hard onto the metal floor.

Thor landed on his back with a heavy thud, the force of the landing enough to send an echoing crash throughout the entire building. Thor looked up, unharmed, and let out a bark of laughter, "Very good Captain. You have bested me."

Cap smiled and helped pull his friend up, "You fixed that telegraphing problem instantly. I didn't see that last one coming."

Thor shrugged, "It is something that I had thought I had overcome a long time ago. I am glad that you made me aware of the fault in my combat prowess."

The two of them turned to leave the training room, Thor picking up Mjolnir on the way and Steve his shield. They walked through SHIELD headquarters for a while, discussing all manner of things. Every so often, Thor noted, Steve would open his mouth as if to say something and then seemed to think better of it and go back to whatever they were discussing.

For a while, Thor didn't question this, deciding that if his friend wanted to talk, he would, but finally his curiosity got the best of him, "Is there something you wish to say to me Captain? I would not have you afraid to speak."

The two stopped walking, and Captain America stood still for a moment, a look almost of concern on his face, "It's just...you've been back for a while now and you haven't mentioned anything about your Brother. Now I know that you told Director Fury that he died, and nobody has wanted to talk to you about that, but I just figured I wanted to see how you were holding up."

Thor turned his head away, "My capacity to lift has not been impeded by my brother's death. I assure you I am as capable a warrior as I have always been. If you are inquiring as to my personal well-being, I am coping well enough."

Steve nodded, "I'm sorry. I know that despite everything, you still cared about him. How did he die?" His eyebrows raised inquisitively and even Thor, dense as he could be, could not fail to recognize the implied question, 'did your father execute him?'

Thor shook his head, "He died saving my life and the life of Jane Foster. For all his evil, were it not for this act, I would not be here today."

Steve was quiet for a moment, and then nodded, "I can't say that I can forgive him for what he did on Earth, but it sounds like he went out a hero."

Thor nodded, "In his own way."

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><p><em>It was dark...darker than night...darker than death...<em>

_The Jotun Prince looked around and saw nothing. Not a floor beneath his feet nor the walls of a cage. Only himself, almost glowing against the sheer blackness around him, naked, beaten, and bloody. He could see no chains constraining him, yet some force held his arms above his head. He didn't know where he was. He couldn't remember how he had gotten there. The last thing he remembered was falling. Falling for weeks, through the space between realms, dark but not dark like this._

_He pulled against the force that bound his hands, but there was no give, only a burning pain that shot through his bones and into his spine. He cried out in agony, but continued to struggle. He had to get out of this. He had to find his way back to...back to what? His mind flicked to the man whom he had called father...the man who had rejected everything he had ever done and let him fall into darkness. He thought of the Warriors Three and Sif, who never wanted him along even when he was the one who saved them so often, only tolerating his presence because Thor insisted on bringing him along. He thought of Thor, who never saw him as a comrade or equal, but rather as his baby brother whom he protected out of some notion of familial duty._

_Even if he escaped from this haunted prison, where would he go? He had no home left. Nothing but the void._

_"Loki, of Asgard." A raspy voice spoke whispered in his ear. He twisted his head around, trying to find the source of the voice, but there was nothing. Suddenly, he felt the sensation of fingers on his face, "You have failed us, frost child. You had promised us a trophy and what do we get? A defeated squadron. How disappointing..."_

_Failed? Had he failed them? How had that happened? Had he been here before? Yes...now that he thought about it, he had. This place. This empty realm of torture. He had been here before, and met the Other here. His fall from the Bifrost had been years ago, not days as he had at first thought. He had taken the Chitauri army and waged war against Midgard, his brother Thor, and the Avengers. And he had failed. Why was he here again? What was this?_

_A light appeared from out of the darkness, but it was not a comforting sort of light. Rather, it was a tendril of fire and pain, glowing with heat that would have evoked the jealousy of Muspelheim. Loki struggled, despite the pain it caused, against his invisible bonds, but it was for nothing. The tendril of fire pressed itself into his bare stomach and Loki screamed, his entire body convulsing in agony. After the barest moment, it retreated, and the pain ebbed away, leaving only throbbing echoes behind. His reprieve was short lived however, as the tongue of fire lashed at him again._

_"You truly thought you could escape from him? Even as a sham King sitting upon another's throne, you cannot hide."_

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><p>Loki's eyes shot open and he lurched off of his bed, his breathing labored. His nightmares had been getting worse, ever since Odin had left. He barely had them at all in his cell, but by now he was suffering from them every night, and they were getting worse. The Other was not a being that he feared, but the memories of those torturous days plagued him still.<p>

He stood up from his bed, which was Odin's and looked into a nearby mirror, the familiar angled face and black hair looking back at him. He flexed the tiniest degree of his magic and the face changed, widening, hair turning white and an eye disappearing only for the hole to be covered up by a golden eye patch.

The disguised Loki walked to the enormous golden doorway which was the entrance to Odin's room and exited into a large antechamber. It was still the middle of the night, but there were two guards stationed outside the doorway.

"My King Odin. Are you unwell."

Loki turned to the guard, and gave a gruff, rueful smile, "My kingdom is being repaired but it is still in disarray. My wife is gone, and my son has chosen the realm of mortals before his own family. I find myself troubled, and I wish for the reprieve of a simple stroll. I am not in need of an escort. You may go."

The guards glanced at each other, nodded, and left down a small pathway off to the side. Loki smirked at the simplicity of deceiving such lesser minds, and departed.

He looked out the window at the cities of Asgard, and smiled. Despite his words, the reconstructions were going excellently. Most of the city was repaired, and under his command, the defenses had been refortified and strengthened with greater magic than they had ever had before. The composition of the walls had been reforged and re-tempered so as that they would be able to stand significantly more force, all with his own guidance and direction. Some had questioned the King's personal involvement, but he had written it off as something he needed to do to keep his mind off of his recent personal troubles. Either way, the Kingdom would soon be stronger than ever under his rule.

Truly, it was Odin's folly for casting him away and not giving to him his rightful place as king. He was clearly far better suited to the job than Thor.

But that wasn't his purpose right now. He had more important things to do.

Odin's palace was vast, and traversing it took a great deal of time, but Loki knew all of the shortcuts that neither Thor nor Odin, nor even the kings of old knew. It wasn't long before he found himself in a very deep part of the fortress, where the guards never ventured. He walked down a spiral staircase of stone, which ended in what anyone else would have seen as dead end but Loki simply walked through it without hesitation.

Behind the false wall of stone was a wooden door, upon which was carved a single rune, eihwaz. Loki placed a hand on the door and spoke, "Open"

He waited for a moment, but there was no reaction.

He spoke more forcefully, "I am the King of Asgard, Odin All-Father, and you will open for me!"

Still nothing happened.

Loki scoffed. He didn't really think it would work. The door was enchanted with a very old magic, and would only open for the rightful king of Asgard. A simple illusion would not suffice to confuse it.

But no matter. He had time.

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><p><strong>Reviews:<strong>

**First off, thanks all for your kind words! I appreciate them all.**

**silverspetz: HEY! Good to hear from you again as well. The idea of Odin's plan all came from just the simplest of ideas, all coming from just the short scene where Loki goes back to Asgard, disguised as a royal guard. He mentions having found a body and Odin replies "Loki?" and he gives that famous devilish grin. I just couldn't see how Odin could have NOT recognized that grin, and when he asks "Loki?" we are supposed to think "You found Loki's body" but it could just as easily be identifying the guard. Either way, I presumed that Odin HAD to be in on it.**

**As for Odin's old man disguise, yeah, I am a big fan of the classical Norse tales, and I will be incorporating a lot of them into this story. Or at least a lot of the themes. Odin just being a big, hard-headed bully never struck me as right, and I don't think that's what they are really going for. Remember that Frigga says that everything he does has a purpose, so even if he comes across as more of a typical viking, I do believe he's just as much a schemer and mastermind as Loki.**

**scarletwitch0: I'm glad you approve. Yeah, I don't know what's going to happen with Anthony Hopkins, but I refuse to believe they would kill Odin off without even showing it. That's nuts. He deserves more respect than that. And I was really digging the redemption that Loki seemed to be going towards (although I don't think he's there yet).**

**IAmCommonSense: It is my running theory for what happened, which is why I am writing it :) I'm glad you approve, and I hope you enjoy the tasertricks. My personal favorite Marvel pairing.**


	3. Chapter 3

So, I decided to wait to update this until I saw Winter Soldier, and it did not disappoint. I'm really excited for it and I am definitely incorporating it into the story. But that also means...

_**SPOILERS FOR CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLIDER!**_

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><p>Dis claimer claims a disclaimer that dis writer don't claim no claim to dis Avengers or Thor or Marvel or dis anything...dis<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Why Am I Not Loved<strong>

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><p>It was a dank and dirty little tavern on the furthest edges of the cosmic space between realms. The architecture was thousands of years old and the patrons were few. The place smelled of decay and there was an aura of hopelessness that ran deeper than merely the empty seats and poor lighting. Trapped off at the end of everything, some people called this place purgatory. Others limbo. In truth it was neither, for no being was banished or exiled here save those who exiled themselves. The common people called it the Tavern at End. A more proper name, was Ginnungagap.<p>

No being came here unless they were truly empty. They had not even death to look forward to. None were made to stay, but none had anywhere else to go.

Save one.

The gnarled old man did not look out of place in the Tavern at End, but he was not a face that had been seen before. His tattered cape draped over his feet and his bent back seemed hardly to have the strength to hold up his own form. His gaunt face was mostly hidden beneath his hood, save that where his right eye should have been was an empty, gaping hole.

It had been almost a thousand years since the last time a new face had entered the Tavern at End, but even this caused no surprise nor alarm in the patrons, nor indeed did they seem to notice the newcomer, save for one or two who briefly looked up from their grog and ale, only to look back down again.

There was only one person who did take note, the single individual behind the bar, a smile on his face despite the atmosphere. He looked up at the gnarled old man and called out jovially,

"Come my friend! In from the cold of the outside. Have a beer or a measure of rum, whatever pleases you, and forget the world outside!"

The old man hobbled over to the bar and sat upon a chair which gave off a cloud of dust under his weight,

"Get me a mug of mead, if you have it."

The man smiled and nodded, "Of course! Of course! Finest in the nine realms, save for those who have dined in the halls of Asgard itself." and he poured the old man produced a very old and very dusty bottle of a liquid that looked almost sickly yellow.

The bartender poured him a mug of the putrid substance and the old man drank of it. Despite the appearance, it truly did taste wonderful. Upon touching his lips, the old man felt as though his troubles and woes were slipping away, leaving only a comforting emptiness behind, and the wondrous taste of the mead.

A lesser being would have been entranced. But Odin All-father is not so easily taken.

"I am not staying long," he whispered in a raspy voice, "I am merely looking for something."

The Bartender's smiled immediately fell, "Drink some more, friend." he whispered, his voice almost urgent.

Odin pushed his mug to the side, "I am not one of your catches, Belphagor. This place is the void beneath all that is, and all things which don't want to be found end up here, which is why many things which do not wish to be known also come here to die. This is a place of secrets and shadows, and I am seeking a secret in particular."

The bartender, Belphagor, was now looking highly uncomfortable, "Yes, this is a place of secrets. Because none come here who ever hope to leave. Who are you, to expect different?"

A golden light appeared in Odin's empty eye-socket and Belphagor recoiled in shock, "I am no one to be trifled with. That is all you need know."

By now, even a few of the more sedentary patrons had turned to look upon this strange newcomer. This was a place of utter emptiness, and yet with that emptiness came peace. The beings here were not comfortable with this man disturbing their peace.

"You hear things, all of you. In this place. Secrets that fall through the abyss, that no one can ever know. Things are stirring. This place, Ginnungagap, the everlasting void, will be the last to feel the effects, but you will not be safe either. Tell me what I need know, and you can return to your self imposed purposelessness."

The patrons looked to each other, none of them wanting to be the first to speak.

"You are disturbing the peace," Belphagor hissed, "You are not welcome here."

Odin chuckled, "You are the demon of sloth. You fear that I might break the aura of sloth here and you will grow weak. Fear not, when I leave, it will be all but a memory. But I am not leaving until I have what I came for."

"The infinities are awakening." a raspy voice spoke out from one of the tables. Odin focused his attention upon a young man. He would have been lovely had his eyes not been dead and his cheeks hollow, "The nine realms are moving. The seeker seeks to wage war. Things are happening. We know why you are here, lord of Asgard."

Odin walked over to the table, and sat down, all eyes still on him, "And what is your name, friend?"

The young man looked confused for a moment, before smiling ruefully, "I don't remember. But I know. Why else would the king of Asgard be here? You want to know too."

Odin nodded, "You are a Vanir? My wife was as well, she-"

"She is dead, I know. Dead in the third battle for the infinities. I hear things. The emptiness whispers to me."

Odin nodded, "Yes. Do you know why? Two stones awaken with such little time between them. The Tesseract and the Aether. What is causing this?"

The nameless Vanir shook his head, "It is the gauntlet. I hear these words over and over. The gauntlet has been touched. The seeker seeks the infinities."

Odin nodded. The Infinity Gauntlet. This was no surprise to him. But that wasn't what he wanted to know, "Who is this seeker? And where is he?"

The Vanir again smiled his rueful smile, "He is hiding. Even the abyss knows not where. I do not know what he is named, but I do know where this information might be found. The seeker used the deceiver to attack Midgard. The deceiver was the sentry of this assault, and although he knew not the seeker or his face, he knows the Other. And the Other knows. Only the Other."

"Loki." Odin whispered. Of course. "Thank you Vanir. I should wish to reward you for this, but I do not think that my gifts would mean anything to you here."

The Vanir shook his head, "No. I hope only that the infinities never reach here. I will lose myself in the drink again."

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><p>Loki sat upon his father's chair and skimmed over a very old and musty tome that he had never seen before. A book on Runic magic in his Father's own personal library. He wasn't sure what he would find, but perhaps the book would lead him to something that would help him get through that door.<p>

It was maddening, knowing that there was some place that he was barred from entering. Even were the key to his salvation NOT through that door, he would still find it maddening that he couldn't get in there. He was the God of Mischief, for Ymir's sake! There should be no door that he could not open.

A knock on the door to the King's chambers pulled Loki from his thoughts and he quickly changed his form that of Odin again.

"Enter!"

The doors opened and two guards walked in, "My King. The people of Asgard are gathering. They wish to speak their grievances to you."

Loki glanced back at the book, and sighed, "Yes of course. I shall come straight away."

A King's duty was never done.

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><p>Loki stood out upon the balcony, watching the crowd cheer his father's name at him. There were so many people, thousands of Asgardians, every one of them a god, though most without titles or power to call their own. A sea of nameless faces that all looked to him for guidance, even if they didn't know it was him.<p>

"All-father!" he heard many shout out, "Blessed King!"

Loki raised up his hand, "I am here my people! Give me your pleas!"

One man stood forward from the crowd, "King Odin! We beseech you. Our homes were destroyed after the attack of the Dark Elves. We have no beds or roofs! Our livelihoods are destroyed!"

Loki nodded his head, "And what would you have your King do to aid you in this time?"

"All of the workers and builders are working to rebuild the defenses and walls of Asgard. We need those workers to repair our homes! We cannot live like this with no roofs above our heads!"

The crowd cheered at the request, and as they did, Loki's brow furrowed in confusion. Did these people not realize the enormity of their request? Had they learned nothing from the invasion of the Dark Elves? Right now Asgard was a sitting duck for any of their enemies who might try an attack. Did not these fools value their lives above a house? He had gone for longer than he cared to remember with far, far worse. Weren't these supposed gods meant to be the gods of Vikings?

"I cannot divert manpower from the repairing of Asgard's defenses. When the work is finished, the constructionists will be free to repair your homes, but in the meantime, there is no way of knowing when or if another attack may befall Asgard. I feel your strife, truly, but I cannot put the whole of Asgard in possible danger for this."

The reaction was immediate. The crowd riled up and cried out in protest. The individual words were difficult to make out, but Loki could hear several instances of 'why', 'homeless', 'unfair', and even one or two more colorful terms.

Loki raised his hand and spoke out above the crowd, "Your King understands your distress, but as of now, I must put the lives of all my subjects first. We do not know what powers may be out there. We believed ourselves safe before the coming of the Dark Elves and there may be other powers outside the Nine Realms which could pose as great a risk. Once I am confidant that our people are safe, I shall release the builders and they may get to work repairing your homes. Until then, I have nothing more to say on the matter."

And he turned away, doing his best to ignore the shouts of protests behind him. The palace guards followed him, and he didn't fail to notice the concerned glances that they shot one another. Surely this was not how Odin All-Father would have approached the situation? Well, BAH! He was not Odin, and if these fools thought that they were going to-

But no. He might not be Odin, but at the moment he also could not be Loki. For now, if he was acting strange, he could chalk it up to the recent death of his wife and abandonment of Thor, but that would only hold so long. He had to make this convincing...

Thor...Thor was a fool and a brute, but he had always managed to win the hearts of the people. Thor wouldn't have this problem. Of course, Thor would have cared so much for the fragile whims of the populace that he would place them in harm's way, but they would at least have loved him for it.

Was there some way that he could accomplish both?

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><p>Darcy walked as briskly as she could without looking like she was in a hurry down the SHIELD corridor. Or...HYDRA...SHIELD? She wasn't sure anymore. All she knew was that she was filing some paperwork and suddenly Captain America was on the speakers telling everyone that HYDRA had infiltrated SHIELD all the way up to the top. Well, if any old person had told her that, she wouldn't have bought it, but this was Captain Freaking America, and Darcy Lewis would trust him with her life.<p>

After all, Thor did.

Speaking of the big guy, she had been attempting to call Jane for a few minutes now, and she wasn't getting any reception. She and Thor had gone away on a scientific expedition to Burma or something like that (at least that was the official explanation, but Darcy suspected it was something a bit more exotic than that) and had been gone for several weeks. Darcy had always been able to contact Jane before, but all of a sudden her calls weren't going out. Further evidence that Steve was right, and that odds were HYDRA had organized something special that made sure Thor would be good and out of the way while all this was happening.

And no one else would be coming either. Tony had destroyed all of his suits, as far as Darcy knew (freaking moron), Hawkeye had been out of contact with all of the Avengers since New York and no one seemed to know what he was doing. She really didn't think that Bruce would be a lot of help right now, especially since the other guy didn't always want to cooperate.

Cap was alone.

And for that matter, so was Darcy. She had a tazer at her side (SHIELD had wanted her to become certified to carry a gun but she had flunked the certification test, so they had given her a tazer that made her old one look like a AA battery), but right now that didn't give her a lot of confidence. She was scared. Jane was gone. Fury was gone. Steve and Natasha were trying to save the world somewhere a long way from where she, Darcy was. And she had no way of knowing who might be a loyal SHIELD agent and who was a servant of HYDRA.

She turned a corner and was immediately greeted by a gruesome sight. Four men in suits, one woman, lying scattered around the hallway, all in various states of dismemberment. One was completely decapitated. A man was standing at the end of the hallway with what looked like a saber in his hand, deftly wiping off the blood with a handkerchief.

Darcy was too horrified by the sight to cry out, or even to turn around and run. She was simply paralyzed with horror and fear.

The man with the sword looked up at her and smiled pleasantly, as if he was not standing in a puddle of blood from a man he had just killed. He was phenomenally handsome but there was somehow an unreal or unnatural quality to these good looks. He wore an impeccably well tailored Italian suit as well that was somehow clean of blood.

"Darcy Lewis, just the woman I was looking for. I'm going to have to ask you to come with me please. HYDRA has need of you."

Darcy suddenly came to her senses and reached for her stun-rod, but the man cleared the distance between them in an instant and with the flat of his blade knocked the defensive tool from her hand.

"Now, now. We shant be having any of that. We need you, but not necessarily your pretty face. I'd hate to have to ruin it before bringing you back."

Darcy gulped, "Who are you, and what do you want with me?" It was a legitimate question. She really couldn't think of anything that she had that would mean anything special to HYDRA.

"There will be other times for questions dear. See, at this moment it would be better for us to make a quick retreat. Your lovely Captain may succeed in his endeavor to stop Pierce, not that it makes much difference, but if he does not, you happen to be one of those who would be targeted by Project Insight. Since, however, we need you alive, I was sent to grab you before it went into effect."

Darcy glanced down at her phone which was still failing to call Jane, "I'm not coming with you," she stated, trying to stall for time, "Steve will save us."

The swordsman shrugged, "Mayhaps you are right. As I said, it matters little. Pierce is a madman, and HYDRA is allowing him to go along with his mad genocide because it will provide a magnificent cover. Regardless, you will come with me, of your own will or by force. And you can stop glancing at your cell phone. We have blocked your signal, and Thor will not be coming to save you."

Darcy was motionless for a moment, and then she sighed and placed her phone into her pocket.

"That's a good gir-AAAARGH!" The man's body tensed up as a pair of electrified needles pierced into him to deliver 50,000 volts of power. After a moment he collapsed on the ground and Darcy ran past him, kicking his shins as she went.

So SHIELD gave her a new one. Her baby took down Thor once, and she wasn't giving that up for anything.

Her legs burned as she ran down the hallway and towards the nearest elevator, hoping to Thor's dear old daddy that there weren't any more HYDRA agents on her way. Two more turns. One right. One left. She could see the elevator, and no HYDRA agents in sight.

"YOU CAN'T RUN FROM ME DEARIE!" a voice called out. Darcy stopped and turned to see Mr. Slick standing in the hallway looking fine other than his slightly disheveled hair, sword at the ready.

"Dude, what are you made out of!?" she called out, before making a mad dash for the elevator doors. He charged at her.

She made the elevator and grabbed for her key card, fumbling slightly in her hurry. He was getting closer. She slid the card and the door opened. Again praising Thor's dad that the elevator had been here for her, she slid inside and slammed her hand on the 'close door' button, before hitting the ground floor button.

The doors closed excruciatingly slow. He was almost right on top of her. A moment before he reached the doors they closed shut and Darcy heard a loud crash as he slammed futilely against the metal doors.

Darcy let loose a heavy breath she had been holding in as the elevator began to descend. She was at least safe from that maniac.

She turned and looked out the glass elevator and saw the three enormous helicarrers hovering above the city. It was...breathtaking. Awe inspiring. If they weren't about to kill everyone, they would be freaking cool.

Suddenly, she heard a crash and looked up to see the HYDRA swordsman smash through the window above her and begin falling. Amazingly, he twisted in mid air and threw a steel cable at the glass on the outside of the building.

"No, freaking way..." Darcy whispered as he swung in mid air directly towards her elevator, sword at the ready to crash through the glass.

"FUCK!" She cried out as he smashed with an ear splitting force into the elevator and slammed her against the doors.

"I told you dearie," he stated, his heaving breath inches from her face, "can't escape from me." and suddenly she felt an electic current run through her own body and she saw no more.

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><p><strong>Reviews: <strong>

**IamCommonSense: Glad you liked the rapport with Cap. Frankly, he's my favorite Avenger...I know that's not a popular opinion.**

**scarletwitch0: You and me both with that Odin thing. I really can't see Loki killing him, and I really can't see Loki being on that throne without Odin's knowing about it. Also, yeah Darcy has a major role in this, not just as a part of the love interest. She is also one of my favorites :P**

**QueenEli128: I'm sorry it's not your favorite pairing, but I'm glad you're enjoying my work so far :)**

**Everyone else: Thank you for the reviews and kind words!**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Yeah, I...I don't own Marvel or anything associated with it. Sucks for me, ya know?

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: NAZIS!...And Norse Bad Stuff<strong>

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><p>Loki felt like tearing his hair out. Books...books...hundreds books strewn about the floor, the desk, Odin's bed, everywhere. Hundreds of notes connected the passages in the books, all written in Loki's hand, linking the most obscure of words from one book on matter transmutation written in the age of Odin to another on the subject of astral projection written in the age of Bor, and all the way to a grimoire written by an obscure mage from another realm that studied the magic of the Runes. And after hours and hours of searching, Loki had come to only one conclusion...<p>

There was no way for him to open that door. It was bound with old magic. As old as Ymir himself. And it would only open to the rightful lord of Asgard, whomever had earned rightfully that title. None other.

Loki had never been the kind to listen to what someone else told him he was allowed to do however. There had to be something. Some way that he could get around that magic. If he could just understand the magic itself, and how it had first been cast in the beginning when Ymir had become all that was in the physical world, perhaps he could figure out exactly what he needed to get through the spell.

The God of Mischief sighed and rose to his feet. Finding magic books, grimoires, and the like that were billions of years old was not going to be something that he could accomplish. But there had to be someone who had passed on the knowledge. Someone more recently, as little as a few thousand years old, who had made something out of this...

And yet, Loki had combed through all of them. Every book in Odin's personal library. Everything that could conceivably be linked in any way to the magic of the runes.

A glint caught his eye up on the top shelf that was nearest to Odin's bed. A single book, "The Beginnings of Runes"...written by a dwarvish magic-smith for the purposes of teaching the most basic of runic concepts for children. Indeed, Loki had read it at least a dozen times when he was just a boy. It was the only book on the subject of runes that he had not taken from off of Odin's shelves.

There was no reason to, right? It would have been like a Midguardian astrophysicist reading a book about the stars that depicted them with faces.

Which begged the question, why did Odin have it in his personal collection? Loki rose to his feet, and walked towards to book. Was there something he was missing? Some secret that this book touched on that he was not aware of?

Before he could grab for the book, a noise like a heavy gust of wind rang out from behind him and he pivoted around.

"Who is there?" Loki whispered, "Show yourself."

Loki got his response in a second sound like the first. It was coming from the corner of Odin's bedchamber, where a large, antique looking mirror hung on the wall.

A form began to appear on the mirror, although it was blurred and difficult to make out.

"What magic is this?" Loki asked.

This time, a voice responded, "Loki, can you hear me? I must have words with you."

Loki recoiled. Blurred or no, there was no way to mistake that voice, "All-Father."

Odin came further into focus, and Loki could begin to make out his disguised, crippled form, as well as a vast darkness behind him. Rain flicked on the mirror as though it were nothing more than a pane of glass with the rain outside.

"Loki, I have gather mor-what are you doing in here?" Odin suddenly looked confused, his eyes glancing around the room at the dozens of books strewn about.

Loki grimaced, "You are searching for answers. So am I. This is research. What do you want All-Father?"

Odin stared for a moment into Loki's eyes and Loki wondered if he would press the issue. After a moment, he seemed to decide that there was more important things for them to discuss however, "I must speak with you of your allies in your failed conquest of Midgard."

The God of Mischief tensed. His eyes flicked away for the briefest of moments before he composed himself and re-met Odin's gaze, "And what makes you think that I want to discuss such things with you?"

"Do not play GAMES with me Loki!" The All-Father commanded, "Do not forget that it is by my allowance that you sit upon my throne. I could at any time return and end this charade."

Loki sneered at him, "But you won't, because you still need me to help you keep your own secrets. The Infinity Stones are still at risk and you still need to move in secret. I believe that our positions at the moment are rather equally reliant upon one another."

The two gods stared each other down for a moment before Loki broke his gaze and sighed, "Very well, ask what you wish. I do not promise I will or even can give you the answers you seek."

Odin nodded, "I have spoken to a soothsayer who has told me that you would be able to lead me to the information that I seek. I was told that the one who seeks the Infinities was also the one who used you to attack Midgard."

Loki again tensed, but quickly covered his fear in a veneer of amusement, "Then you have reached a dead end. I never saw the being who was the master of those armies. I interacted only with a being called the Other, who spoke on behalf of their leader. And I only ever met with the Other on the astral plane. I could not tell you where he is."

The All-father growled to himself in frustration, "The Other, yes. The soothsayer told me that he was the one who would know. Is there nothing? Nothing at all that you can tell me of this Other?"

"No. I'm sorry" the Trickster replied, not actually feeling sorry at all. Loki wanted this conversation ended. He wanted to get back to his searching and not have Odin breathing down his neck. He was already in a bad mood from his limited success.

Odin hesitated, "If you remember anything, speak my name into the mirror and I shall answer. And it would be wise of you to remember that while I currently have more important things to deal with, I am still Odin All-Father, and if I wanted I could put a stop to this...research of yours. I imagine it would be preferable to you that I continue to have more important issues."

Loki met his father's eyes and for the briefest of moments they both examined one another. Loki wasn't sure what he was looking for exactly. Weakness? Understanding? Some indication of what Odin was thinking?

"Tell me then, why this is so important? You speak in riddles and veiled threats as to what is going on, and while I certainly can respect these methods, I cannot help but wonder how you expect me to help you when I don't even know what it is you want?"

For a moment, Odin didn't reply. When he did, it was in a tone that Loki had never heard before in his father...fear.

"The problem Loki, is that I do not know myself. I do not know who our enemies are or what they want. What I do know, is that if the infinities are being gathered, whomever owns them would possess a power greater than anything you or I could comprehend. The entire forces of all 9 realms would be as nothing more than a fly beating against a dragon's hide."

Loki felt a chill go down his spine. Whatever this was, Odin was not taking it lightly. He had truly never before heard the All-Father so fearful and the effects were disheartening. Perhaps...

"There may be one thing." Loki conceded, "While I was partnered with the Other, he would occasionally attempt to intimidate me with talk of his master. I told him that as a God of Asgard I feared no being. He told me that a God was nothing to his master. That he was the slayer of Gods. The Mad Titan."

Suddenly, Odin's look of worry changed to one of complete shock, "The Mad Titan? Are you quite sure!?"

Loki had not expected this reaction, "Yes, I believe so?"

And without another word, Odin's face was gone from the mirror, as though he had never been there at all.

Loki waited a moment, but nothing more happened. No reappearance, or any indication that Odin was coming back at all.

"You're welcome?"

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><p>It was dark, and Darcy's head was throbbing. Where was she? It felt like she had the world's worst hangover, but she was pretty sure she hadn't been out drinking last night. What had happened? She remembered being at the SHIELD headquarters, and...HYDRA? That's right, HYDRA had attacked. Played their gambit, revealing that even one of the highest ranking members of SHIELD was a HYDRA sleeper agent...<p>

She opened her eyes, expecting to find herself in a cell with dim lighting, stone walls, and iron bars.

Instead, she seemed to be in a labroom of some sort, laying on something similar to a doctor's operating table with several wires attached to her body and face and wearing little other than her underwear. A class dome covered her entire body, preventing her from moving terribly far.

Although the dome distorted her view anything else around her, she saw what looked like a large monitor to her right which had all sorts of readings that she doubted she'd be able to read even if she could properly see them.

"Awake, are you miss Lewis?" A voice that seemed to emanate from everywhere at once and with a robotic overtone that reminded Darcy of Stephen Hawking spoke to her, "I suggest you do not attempt to struggle too much. As you can see, there is no way for you to get out, and while we do not require you to be in top condition, I would rather not have to deal with you accidentally injuring yourself."

Ignoring the voice, Darcy attempted to jerk upward, only to feel an intense pain jolt through entire body that made her spasm and fall back to the table, "The hell!? Where am I?"

The robotic voice seemed to sigh at her, "I did warn you not to do that. Those wires are inserted into your body all the way down to your bones. If you try to move too suddenly it will cause you terrible pain. As to where you are, I had presumed such to be obvious even for a lesser mind such as your own. You are in one of the AIM laboratories, the science and technology department of HYDRA."

Darcy felt like she was going to be sick. She wanted to cry, or scream, or do something, but she was afraid that if she moved, it would just hurt more, "What you do want with me?" She asked, barely keeping her tears back.

"That will come in time. For now, my testing is completed. You will be moved to a cell until Baron Strucker has need of you."

She heard a sound hissing sound and the glass dome that covered her began to move down, allowing her to see the dark, dank room that she was in. All sorts of machinery that looked like it was some crazy mix of Doctor Frankenstein and a slasher movie killer's dream were littered about. She glanced at the monitor that had before been invisible to her and she saw the words 'Betrüger Teilchen' over a graph that was too complicated to make out.

She did not however, see her captor.

"Where are you?" she whispered.

At her words one of the random machines moved and pivoted towards her. She shrieked at what she saw, a large orb with several mechanical hands coming out from either side, some tipped with claws, others with blades, one with a needle of sorts. On the orb in the center was a screen, behind which was a face. A very large face that seemed to look at her with something akin to disdain. She recoiled from this thing and the wires in her arms cut into her and she again screamed.

"A typical response," the mechanical voice stated, emanating from this terrifying thing, "I am AIM's top scientist, George Tarleton. What you are looking at is the mechanical proxy with which I conduct my laboratory work. I designed it after my body began to degrade from an unfortunate degenerative muscular disease, so as that I could continue my work hands on. I call it MODOC, the Mobile Organism Designed Only for Computing. It was a trick I learned from my mentor, Arnim Zola."

The MODOC thing floated through the air over to Darcy and one of it's hands reached out and pressed a button on the side of her table. She felt the barbs in her flesh slip out and the wires fall off of her. Slowly, she sat up, rubbing at one of the spots where they had been attached, a small amount of blood seeping out,

"This is...this is insane. I'm being experimented on by Doctor Frankenstein."

"My young lady, flattery will get you nowhere."

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><p>"What do you mean you can't find her!?"<p>

Jane Foster was mad. Very man. Stark raving pissed actually. She was also very, very scared, but that was an emotion that she had a hard time expressing to Director Fury without feeling like he thought she was a baby, so she'd settle for mad.

"We're gone for 3 freaking weeks and you mean to tell me that SHIELD was taken over by HYDRA, then attempted to kill millions of people with SHIELD's enormous death machines and would have probably succeeded if not for Steve and Natasha, an as of yet unknown number of SHIELD agents are either dead or defected, and YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE MY BEST FRIEND IS!?"

Nick Fury rubbed his temple, his glass of scotch hanging loosely from his other hand, and looked around to make sure that there was no one around who could have heard Ms. Foster's outburst. He had booked this expensive banquet room at some fancy French Restaurant whose name he couldn't pronounce hoping to be able to meet everyone under the radar, but it wasn't as though the walls of the restaurant were soundproof.

"As you just so excellently spelled out for me Ms. Foster, we are not exactly in the highest working order right at this very moment," He tried to keep the snide sarcasm out of his voice and failed miserably, "I assure you I have the best people I can afford to spare looking into the disappearance of Ms. Lewis right now. We are going over what security tapes we could salvage, and if we find any information that is pertinent, I assure you, you will be the first to know."

"Jane," Natasha, who had been sitting in the corner until then, whispered as she placed her hand on the other woman's shoulder, "I know you really cared about her. But you have to be ready for the possibility that she didn't make it out of that building before it collapsed."

Jane huffed and glared at the floor, "Where's Steve?" she asked, "Shouldn't he be here? Helping to get through the rubble?"

"Captain Rogers has taken a new mission since the event," Fury stated, latching onto the shift in topics, "A personal one."

Through all of this Thor had been stationed at the entryway, keeping a watchful eye for anyone who might try to wander in, his arms crossed and a look of sadness on his face. He walked over to Jane and placed his hands on her shoulders, "Jane, I know that this seems hopeless, but I promise you, if there is any chance that Lady Darcy is alive in this realm, I shall do all in my power to find her."

"Meanwhile" Fury continued, "Natasha and I have another job. SHIELD is disbanded, but that doesn't mean that HYDRA isn't still out there. We're going to have to do a lot of work here, go underground, call in old favors, the whole nine yards, to flush them out.

Jane didn't want to hear anymore, and turned away in order to try and drown out the military talk and strategizing. She wasn't in the mood. A strong hand landed on her shoulder and she turned towards her otherworldly partner again.

"Jane," he spoke in a hushed whisper, so low that Fury and the rest of the group wouldn't be able to hear, "If the actions of Midgard cannot find Lady Darcy, perhaps Asgard can. I know that your last experience with my father was less than well met, but if he would allow it, we might be able to employ the use of Heimdall to find her. If some insidious foe has her taken, he will know, and as painful as it is for me to entertain such an idea, if she has perished in the wake of the attack, at least we will know."

Jane felt an enormous surge of affection swell up inside of her for Thor, "You would do that for Darcy?"

Thor smiled, "No. I would do that for you."

* * *

><p><strong>Reviews!: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this! Loki thanks you, and so does Thor!<strong>

**Silverspetz: As always, thanks for the input. That's what I was going for, for Loki not necessarily being a bad ruler, but one who doesn't know how to be a man of the people. So, yes, that is what I was thinking.**


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